Govt. assures supply of nitrogenous fertiliser for tea sector after detecting quality drop

„To import sulphate of ammonia; tea growers urge govt. to expedite fertiliser distribution process „Govt. assures fertiliser crisis in tea industry will be resolved in one month „Says ready to take a step back and reverse policies to prioritise farmer n

Alarmed by a quality drop in green tea leaves, the government assured that the measures are in place to supply nitrogenous fertiliser for the tea sector, via imports without disruptions, as planters struggle to source organic fertilisers amid the import ban on chemical fertilisers.

Accordingly, Cabinet Co-spokesperson and Plantation Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing this week revealed that the government has decided to import sulphate of ammonia as the source of nitrogenous fertiliser for tea plantations. The imported stocks of nitrogenous fertiliser stocks are to be distributed to tea estates via tea factories and the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) has been made responsible to oversee this operation.

Nitrogen fertiliser is critical for growth as well as quality of tea. According to the Tea Research Institute (TRI), the main source of nitrogenous fertiliser for tea plantations in Sri Lanka is sulphate of ammonia, which has around 26 percent nitrogen content.

The Trincomalee Harbour is the second best natural harbour in the world and the available water and land area is estimated 10 times as much as the Port of Colombo. The port was tentatively identified to cater for bulk and break bulk cargo and port-related industrial activities, including heavy industries, tourism and agriculture and so on.

It was highlighted that the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) owns around 2,000 hectares of land around the port, which could be given to develop heavy industries.

According to recent media reports, a United States-based firm submitted an unsolicited proposal to set up a mega oil refinery at an investment of US $ 3 billion, on the land belonging to the Trincomalee Harbour.